Precision ag continues to gain in popularity

The survey results suggest that more dealers than before consider precision ag to be a normal part of products and services they offer. The applications are typically related to cost savings, as much or more than to production increases.

From Penn State University | Sep 12, 2011

A recent survey by Purdue University’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business revealed that precision ag applications are gaining in popularity among dealerships across the U.S.

It was the 15th time the annual survey, sent out to 2,500 dealerships, was published.

The survey results suggest that more dealers than before consider precision ag to be a normal part of products and services they offer. The applications are typically related to cost savings, as much or more than to production increases.

The most commonly offered precision technology applications were GPS guidance systems for sprayers and fertilizer applicators.

Auto-guidance was offered by 64 percent of respondents (53 percent in 2009) and appears to be replacing light-bar guidance systems, which dropped from 79 percent of respondents in 2009 to 66 percent in 2011. GPS enabled boom section control was offered by 4 out of 10 respondents.

Variable seeding rates with GPS has continued to grow at a quicker pace from 6 percent in 2007 to 23 percent of respondents in 2011, likely due to improvements in precision seeding technology.

Precision nutrient applications were expected to slow down due to low profitably of these technologies.

The survey reflects trends in Pennsylvania, where auto-guidance for sprayers and auto-shut offs of boom sections and planter units are becoming more and more common to avoid overlaps in irregularly shaped fields.